


Ode to the Wicked

by c_forbes



Category: TMR - Fandom, the maze runner
Genre: 4+1, Angst, Canon, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 16:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2856779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_forbes/pseuds/c_forbes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>❝ four times they were t o g e t h e r and one time they were m o r e ❞</p><p>[ 4+1 NEWT/TMR STORY ]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I finally decided to try out ao3, so please excuse me if I get anything wrong. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the story!

**i. ❝Iғ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀ Gᴏᴅ﹐ Hᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ғᴏʀɢɪᴠᴇɴᴇss.❞**

She came to when light began to shower down. At first, it was more of a trickle, though it soon progressed in grandeur. From the gold light that barely illuminated her surroundings, the girl could see wooden crates on either side, some accompanied by other smaller, random supplies. It was noisy—she was going upwards—and she was completely terrified, to say the least. But something inside her kept her seated; so she waited, scared but quiet, as the brightness got closer, and the box she was trapped in stopped moving.

* * *

“Shuck.”

Those were the first words she heard. She had no idea what they meant and she did not have much time to process them before the voice was drowned out by several more. Her head rose and she was greeted with too many faces to count. All male. Her presence seemed to fling them into chaos; some seemed enthused and others enraged. And still, she sat calmly, even taking a moment to look over herself. The girl attempted to gather her thoughts. Right: she was surrounded by what looked like thirty boys, give or take, and all they seemed to be able to do was whisper about her gender; she could not remember anything personal, and she had no idea what the hell ‘shuck’ meant.

Abruptly, she stood up. The boys fell silent and all eyes were on her once again. “Can I get a little help, maybe?” she asked, shocked by the strength of her own tone. She saw one boy leap forth but he was shoved back. The one who had roughly pushed the younger boy stepped closer and kneeled down, flanked by a skinnier, blonde male. She could sense the air of authority that pursued them. Her eyes remained on the blonde.

“You got a name, Greenie?” the first boy asked as he offered his hand, which she accepted. She was helped up by the both of them.

She shook her head. “No, apparently not.”

“You’ll remember it within a few days,” the blonde piped up and she realised he was of British descent. “I’m Newt, and this is Alby.”

The girl looked between them with a faint smile. “Hey.” Being around others had calmed her down, even if she had been thrown into a hectic situation. However, one thing bugged her more than all the whispering: Newt. She looked back at him and found him staring. It would not have been odd, given the circumstances, but his gaze was far too intent for her liking. Her eyebrows rose ever so slightly. Something in her head (and possibly her heart)—too far away to catch—bumbled mindlessly, and she had an inkling that perhaps it was a thought to do with Newt.

“You don’t have any questions?” Alby interrupted incredulously. She pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

“Uh, what does shuck mean?” Laughter rippled through the crowd of nameless boys.

“C’mon, Greenie,” Alby chuckled. “Let’s get you settled.”

* * *

One thing Alby did tell her was not to go into the maze without permission. The rest, he said, she’d learn tomorrow. She could accept that; it was probably better to not piss off her potential captors. As suave as she seemed, she really was still a little scared. Here she was, the only girl, enclosed by four giant walls, and some farm animals. An adolescent’s dream. At least the sheep were cute, she supposed. Too bad they were being served for dinner.

She eyed the boys who sat at the table once more, watching them scoff down their meals. Newt’s smirk caught her attention. “What?”

“I know what you’re doing,” he said. “It’s not poisoned. Promise.” She looked down abashedly, hoping her brunette hair would cover her rising blush.

“Shut up,” she mumbled, causing those closest to her—Minho, Alby, Gally, and Newt, to laugh.

“Newt’s no liar,” Minho added, elbowing the girl with a grin. “Eat up.”

* * *

The Glade had thrown her a Greenie party that night. Except now, it was absent of the Greenbean. She had found her way to the walls out of curiousity. The party, no matter how loud, couldn’t conceal the sounds erupting from the maze. The churning, creaking noises were like an invite and she was just now accepting it. She ran her hands along the cold, rough stone, walking until she reached one of the exits. She stared at the walls momentarily, almost as if she expected something to happen.

“Not trying to escape, are you?”

The girl bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in shock. She retracted her arms and turned around, stifling any guilty tick that may have been lurking. She looked at Newt with a smile. “You guys weren’t kidding. Couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

He returned the smile although his expression turned as ominous as his next words. “Do you want to see what’s behind the walls?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion and she glanced over her shoulder. “The doors are closed…”

“I know.” His tone was innocent, and it only confused her further. She accepted his outstretched hand and followed him.

Newt took her to one of the darker corners of the glade. Once there, he began to push away some of the vines on the wall; when he was done, he stepped back and watched her expectantly. She peered at the hole that had been carved, and then back at Newt, now hesitant. The walls closed for a reason….but did she really want to know why? She looked down at their hands realising they were still entangled. She smiled briefly, defeated, and then took her chance.

Half a minute passed before the girl spoke. “Holy hell,” she breathed out.

“We call them Grievers,” Newt informed her, standing much closer than she remembered. She looked up at him, wide-eyed. He continued. “You know, you’re pretty calm about all of this. I’m surprised you didn’t end up sprinting away like most Greenies do when they get out of the box.”

The clacking and whirring continued on and the girl remained still, staring at Newt. After a moment, she shook her head and turned towards the hole. She hurriedly pushed the vines into their original place, eying the Grievers that lurked in the shadows of the maze walls. She stumbled back a couple of steps once done, almost falling over in her haste. Newt caught her elbow, steadying her. “I am never, ever, ever becoming a runner, and it is of utmost importance we move away from this spot,” she said finally.

“Good that.” He laughed. “You’re the best décor this place has.”

The Greenie bit her lip to hide her sudden giddiness. “This way, then. The furniture has to make an appearance at her own bash.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Newt protested, shambling after her. He caught up, ready to apologise profusely before he noticed the smirk slapped across her face. “Shucking Greenie,” he groaned lowly, but he found himself fighting a smile.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Greenie is settling in. She remembers her name amongst a moment of reminiscing.

**ii. ❝Tʜɪs ɪs ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ ʙᴇɢɪɴs. Eᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴛᴀʀᴛs ʜᴇʀᴇ﹐ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ.❞**

The Greenie was finally given a chance to relax at the end of her second day. Well, if taking an almost cold shower could be considered relaxation. Nonetheless, she was enjoying not feeling so dirty, and she was grateful that the boys had constructed makeshift doors for the cubicles. With a sigh, she turned off the water. The brunette took a moment to process her surroundings before realising her critical mistake. She groaned loudly, “Shucking hell!”

One day in the Glade and she had picked up enough slang to use it moderately well. She cursed again under her breath when she heard one of the boys further down tell her to ‘watch her potty mouth’. She  _almost_  felt relieved when she heard Newt’s voice.

“Greenie? Something wrong?”

She sighed, letting her forehead hit one of the walls. “I forgot to grab a towel.”

All of the Gladers in the room lost it and she almost laughed too, out of frustration. “Slim it!” she yelled back, imitating Alby’s famous words. It did nothing to quell their chuckling, if anything, her comment made the situation funnier.

“Hang on,” Newt replied, and then his voice disappeared. He returned a few seconds later, and she was met with a towel flung over the door. “Here you go.” She quickly grabbed it and towelled off.

Exiting the stall, she found Newt leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He wore a dishevelled tank and his hair flopped forward, still wet. He perked up when he saw her. He peeled away from the building's edge and moved to stand beside her. She heaved out a sigh of relief, and then smiled coyly. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You guess?” he smirked lopsidedly, falling into step as the two of them left. “I could have left you for dead.”

She laughed, poking his bare shoulder. “It would have been quite the show, actually.”

* * *

Walking to the table with her food, the brunette could feel several pairs of eyes on her. She attempted to ignore them as she passed by, and breathed a sigh of relief once she reached the table. That is, until she saw Minho grinning, then Gally, and lastly, Alby. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but when no one spoke, she began to eat.

“So, I heard you had some fun today…” Minho started, and she almost choked on her food. She coughed, trying to swallow properly, and then her head whipped to Newt.

“Why did you tell them?!” she cried, although he only put his hands up in surrender.

“It’s a small world here, Greenie,” Alby chuckled. She rolled her eyes, returning to the food. However, seeing that Minho was still laughing about her ordeal, she grabbed the best looking thing from his plate and took a bite, not bothering to return it. She was satisfied when she heard Minho grumble and pull his plate closer to his chest.

* * *

The sun had long dropped. The sky was dark and cast shadows over the Glade, and the fire crackling in the middle blew wisps of wavering light over the grounds. It reminded her of her journey here; those long, lonely moments in the box. And truthfully, she was a bit lonely. A sinking feeling had settled over her; she had fallen into the trap of thinking about the family and life she had before being put into the maze. She tried to push it far enough away so that she could sleep, like most of the other Gladers, who seemed at peace as they lay across the soft grass. The Greenie was a little farther away, sitting up against a tree since the dream world refused to accept her. She hummed softy, looking over the Glade once more, trying to forget her worries.

Night seemed to draw on, and sleep still would not come, leaving the girl a little aggravated at herself. Days here were going to be tough, and she needed her rest.

Like the first time she was approached in the dead of night, she fought the instinct to jump warily at the new presence. Instead, she resorted to clenching her fists as she calmed down. Newt inched down beside her and she audibly relaxed.

“Sorry, shank,” he smiled faintly, nudging her in a teasing manner. She raised her eyebrows, one part to not knowing what shank meant (although she had a good idea), and another part to curiousity.

“Why are you so intent on giving me a heart attack?” she asked, looking to the side so she could see his face. The Greenbean saw his lips lift again, though his gaze remained downcast.

“Brought you this,” he said, revealing a book. She looked at it, then up at him, and back at the book before plucking it from his grasp.

“101 ways to kill someone,” she mused, earning a snort from the boy.

“Unless I slipped you the wrong book...”

She couldn't stop a tight-lipped smile from appearing on her own face at the stupid joke. “Thanks, Newt.” Her expression brightened as she paused. “I guess.”

The blonde gave a mocking sigh. In the silence that passed, she took the chance to flick through the well-loved book. She noticed some of the pages had been dog-eared. She smiled to herself, feeling a little more comfortable knowing these rough-looking boys enjoyed reading.

“Don't lose it, though, or else Minho will kill me.”

“Minho?” she mumbled, her attention having been caught elsewhere. A single phrase on the page she was currently on sparked something inside her.

“Yeah, the book's his. He, uh, he likes to read. Might as well be the Glade librarian,” Newt explained, speaking fondly of his friend. He soon realised the girl was a little preoccupied with the book.

“Newt?”

“Yeah?”

“My name's Thalia.”

“Thalia?”

“Thalia.”

She looked up at Newt with a joyful smile, elated that she could finally remember something.

“Well then, Thalia, welcome to your new home.”

With one more piece of the puzzle solved, it really was beginning to feel something like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to anyone who is reading! I appreciate the support and I hope you are enjoying the story so far. As a sidenote, I think of Thalia as Yvette Monreal. :-)


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia is sick, bored, and hungry.

**iii.** **❝** **W** **ᴇ** **ᴀ** **ʀ** **ᴇ** **ᴀ** **ʟʟ s** **ᴇᴀ** **ʀ** **ᴄ** **ʜɪɴɢ ғ** **ᴏ** **ʀ s** **ᴏᴍᴇᴏ** **ɴ** **ᴇ** **ᴡ** **ʜ** **ᴏ** **s** **ᴇ** **ᴅᴇᴍᴏ** **ɴs** **ᴘ** **ʟ** **ᴀ** **ʏ** **ᴡᴇ** **ʟʟ** **ᴡ** **ɪ** **ᴛ** **ʜ** **ᴏᴜ** **ʀs.** **❞**

Thalia has been in the Glade six months the first time she falls sick. All the boys refuse to let her do any work, even when it’s the only thing she wants to do. Instead, she’s not permitted to leave her bed, other than times of  _absolute_  necessity, and the only company she gets is one of her friends who checks in on her every few hours. By the third day, they learned not to stay too long, as prolonged exposure led to her begging for a job or some other excuse to escape the confinements.

* * *

It was close to lunch time when Alby came to check up on her. He was the first one since Minho and Newt, who came in when she was half asleep earlier that morning. He placed a tray of food on her lap, and her thanks was cut short as she noticed the smile he wore.

“You’re happy today,” she blurted, gulping down some water from a cup. The leader just clapped her shoulder before he lifted himself from the makeshift bed. “Alby, wait!” She grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“No, Thalia,” he rolled his eyes, already knowing the question.

“Please! C’mon, Alby, I’m going insane. I can work in the fields. Let me pick some fruit or something!” Thalia saw the hesitation behind his dark eyes and she took her chance. “Please?” she pouted.

He stayed quiet a moment longer before sighing. “Fine. I’ll talk to Zart.” Alby took a few steps, but stopped and turned before he had passed through the doorway. “And for the record, that face only works on Newt.”

“Thanks, Alby!” she shouted after him, although her voice cracked half way through, dissolving into coughing.

* * *

Newt wandered through the fields, occasionally talking to some of the boys who had just returned from lunch. He carried a couple of buckets filled with water and was distributing the liquid to those that needed it. After doing his round, a familiar head of brunette hair caught his attention. He picked his way over, soon confronted by a soft humming.

The girl was prodding at the ground with some of the smaller gardening tools. He noticed she was smiling to herself as she did so. “Lia?” Newt asked, disturbing her concentration. He kneeled down, placing the bucket a fair distance away as not to knock it over. He looked her over quickly, making sure she was alright. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“Alby knows I’m here, so don’t you dare try anything,” she warned, barely acknowledging his presence with a quick glance.

Newt’s brow furrowed, mostly in disbelief. “Alby arranged this?” Thalia nodded, finally meeting his worried eyes. He continued when she didn’t say any more. “How many times did you say please?”

The smile returned, bigger this time; she even giggled. “Twice.” He grinned too.

“Only twice?”

“Yup.” Thalia shrugged. “He was in a good mood.”

He contemplated that for a minute, and in that time, she persisted in pulling at a deep-rooted weed. She stabbed at it a couple more times before it eventually gave way. However, when she pulled, the action was more forceful than necessary and the green blade flew out, splattering her with dirt. She frowned, dabbing at the mud on her face as Newt laughed at her misfortune. “Do you want some of this on you?” she questioned sourly.

“No, no, sorry,” Newt said, attempting to quieten his laughter. He turned her chin towards him and began to wipe off the dirt from her cheeks. “Are you okay?” the blonde asked with a wide, teasing smile, still removing the mess with nimble fingers.

“Slinthead,” Thalia mumbled, stomaching her nervousness. His hands fell back into his lap when he was done.

“What are you meant to be doing anyway?” She picked up the weed that had been out for vengeance and flung it behind her.

“Getting rid of these disgusting little things,” she said, and then picked up a small box, containing numerous seeds, “and planting these instead.”

Newt laughed at her word choice. “Do you need help?”

“What, so you can steal my glory?” she simpered. “If you help me, Alby will know, and I won’t get to do anything else. Alby always knows.”

“Good point…” he said, trailing off with a smirk. “But I have the water.”

One of her eyebrows rose at the challenge. “Give me the water.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

Thalia changed her tactic again. She stuck out her bottom lip and stared at the boy with wide eyes. “Please, Newt?” When he shook his head, she shuffled forward. “Please?” He crossed his arms and looked away. She took the chance to see how far it was to the water; she would have to make it past him to get to the bucket. Thalia copied his stance; crossed her arms and gave a defeated sigh. As his lips curved, she jumped for the bucket. She managed to skim her fingers over the cool metal before his arms were wrapped around her torso and she was getting hauled back. She made a desperate attempt to claw at the ground but her limbs immediately snapped home as he began to tickle her. “Newt!” she yelped, dissolving into laughter as his fingers roamed wild. “Newt, Newt, stop,” Thalia tried again, “Give me the water, klunkhead!”

Fairly quickly, she started coughing and he pulled her upright. “Are you okay?” he immediately prodded, his chuckling long gone, instead replaced with wide, fretful eyes.

“I’m telling Alby you tried to kill me over some water,” Thalia replied, though she was smiling. “So, can I have the bucket now?”

Newt shrugged, his expression completely innocent. “I don’t know. Can you?”

Thalia groaned. If the Grievers didn’t kill her first, then the infuriating second-in-command would.

* * *

She had passed on dinner, tired after her earlier expedition. Eventually, Newt had cooperated and they were able to plant the seeds. Unfortunately, now she was hungry, and it was way past dinner time. Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, Thalia decided to try her luck. She left the homestead and slipped into the night.

So far, so good. The Gladers she passed were all asleep, so none had tried to stop her in the middle of her quest. She had been successful in making it to the kitchen. Well, she was until Newt interrupted.

“What the shuck, Lia?” he hissed. She looked over her shoulder.

“I’m hungry.”

He shook his head exasperatedly. “Why didn’t you have something earlier?”

“Wasn’t hungry then,” she rolled her eyes.

“You’re not allowed in here,” Newt tried again, still in a hushed tone.

She gave a faint smile. “The faster I get something, the faster I’m out. So shut your mouth and help me.” She traipsed up to him, grabbed his hand, and then led him to where she had previously been. Thalia ignored his groan and began to rummage through the supplies, looking for something that tickled her fancy.

Even in her muddled state, Thalia could recognise authority. So when Alby spoke, her blood ran cold. He may have been her friend, but he  _had_  created the rules of the Glade.

“What are you doing?” Alby asked. Immediately, her eyes found Newt’s, and she almost laughed at his expression. They turned around simultaneously.

“It’s on me, Alby,” Newt said first.

Thalia nodded hastily. “Yeah, it’s all him.”

Both boys looked at her and she smirked. “What? I’m sick. This can’t be my fault.” Alby sighed and ran a hand across the back of his head. She knew she had him. “He deserves the slammer. I can take him,” she offered, giving Newt a sly glance. She stepped forward and opened her palm, waiting for the keys.

“Thalia!” Newt huffed. Alby chuckled but nevertheless passed over the keys.

“You did say it was your fault,” he consoled. Then, he left, leaving them alone.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Newt said. She shrugged and mockingly linked her arm with his and started for the slammer.

“You can’t be serious,” he tried again, seeing where they were headed.

“I told Alby I would.” Thalia smiled mischievously.

* * *

After the silent walk, the chains on the prison cell were eerie in the darkness. Of course, they’d plucked a torch on their way over, but it was still shadowy. The brunette opened the slammer’s doors and flung an arm out, gesturing.

“Get in.”

“I covered for you, Lia!” Newt argued. He was mostly trying to fight a smile at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“And this is the consequence!” Thalia countered with a lift of her shoulders. She sighed loudly when he did not obey. “We’re getting nowhere.”

Newt didn’t object to the observation. They continued to glare intently at each other for a full minute, until she sat down in defeat. Thalia looked up at the stubborn boy and rolled her eyes, patting the grass beside her. He complied wordlessly. Deciding that she couldn’t be bothered going back to the homestead for the night, she unwrapped her blanket and laid it across their laps. As she was doing this, she missed the way his expression finally eased into one of humour; a small smile tugged at his lips. When she was satisfied, she leaned her head on his shoulder, and in turn he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

Eventually, Newt spoke up, his tone a definitive contrast to the atmosphere. “Did you grow four sizes since this afternoon?” He plucked something from her pocket. It was an apple. “How did you…— Oh, never mind,” he shook off his disbelief before taking a bite.

“Hey, that’s _mine_ ,” Thalia protested.

“Not anymore,” he grinned. “Besides, you still feel a little heavy. I’m sure you’ll find something else.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my friend Lee because she made me some gifs for the story! You should definitely check them out, they’re pretty sweet. http://postimg.org/gallery/9y0cfea8
> 
> Thalia’s personality is a little sporadic in this part since she’s sick. I hope I did that justice. The chapter (or really just the last scene) is a little iffy to me but again, I hope it’s enjoyable.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who reads and comments.


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia wonders about the future. This includes being merciless while teasing Newt.

**iv.**

The sun, albeit hanging low, still shines warm and bright in the afternoon sky. Most of the Gladers had docked off work for the day, and as a result, resorted to lounging about in the fading light.

“Today feels different,” Thalia spoke up, glancing at the calm Newt who lay to her side, resting on an elbow as he overlooked her and much of the Glade. Upon seeing the confusion muddied into his features, she added, “Like something's changing.” He seemed to ponder this for a moment. Her attention was suddenly yanked away by a shout caught in the breeze. She glanced in the direction it came from, peering at a group of nearby boys. His eyes fell on her face, which had speckles of sun and shadows cast across her skin, due to their position under a tree. Thalia turned back, and he finally gave an answer.

“New Greenie should be comin' in soon.”

She smiled briefly, seemingly a little lost in her own thoughts. “Maybe we'll find a way out one of these days,” she murmured. “Hey,” she started again, “You ever thought about what job you'll have once we are?”

Newt could see the excitement in her eyes and he held back a smile. He shook his head once. “We don't even know what it's like out there.”

“Hm...” she said, swatting away his argument. “Well I, for one, can't wait to have my own apartment. The first thing I'll be doing is having a movie marathon. Who knows what quality entertainment we've missed out on.” Then she smiled widely, and Newt knew he was about to have a hard time. “I could get a pet! A dog... No,” Thalia reached up, brushing a hand through his curls distractedly. “A cat. You definitely seem like a cat person.”

“A cat? No way...” he disagreed, trying his best not to melt at the contact. “A horse, maybe. How about a bear?”

The pair laughed at the suggestion. “Too risky.” Another shout from the cheerful group. This time, Newt looked up, and Thalia dropped her wandering hand. She noticed the edge of Newt's mouth tug downward as she did it. Pushing past the self-inflicted awkwardness, she prattled on. “Well, anyway, we'll have a cat named Boris, and he'll probably be really annoying.” Newt wore a teasing smile as his gaze fell on her again, not bothering to comment on the name choice.

The silence stretched out between them, and although it was not uncomfortable, her eyes shifted. She had seen a flurry of emotions skitter across his features, causing a slight agitation of her own. She didn't like the thoughts it gave root to. Instead, Thalia clawed at a clump of grass and threw it at him. She laughed as he rolled over in shock, attempting to dodge any further impending attacks.

“Sorry, couldn't help it,” Thalia smiled sheepishly.

“Honestly...” he shook his head in exasperation. “Not even the Slammer threats deter you anymore.”

She shuffled closer, leaning towards him as her nose crinkled. “That sounds a lot like invincibility,” she pointed out triumphantly.

“Yeah, wait till you spend a night in the maze,” Newt smirked. He  _knew_  how terrified she was of it.

“I'll come back riding a Griever, and then  _I'll_  be the hero of this story. Not your shuck face,” she huffed, prodding his cheek for effect.

His reply, which sounded something like  _'oi, don't be cheeky'_ , was drowned out by a shrill noise. The alarm sounded, echoing throughout the Glade, as the box inevitably travelled up with the supplies and this month’s Greenie.

“Told ya,” Newt commented, righting himself. He stood up and stretched, giving Thalia a peek at his lower stomach as his shirt flared up with the movement. He offered her a hand amidst her staring. “Coming, Lia?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah,” she stammered, grabbing a hold of his outstretched arm. They stood quite close after this and Thalia didn't miss the concerned look that passed over his features. She mustered a smile. “I'm fine, Newt,” she said softly. He didn't reply, though he continued to watch her carefully. She couldn't take it for very long and instead looked down.  _Shuck--_  she was still holding onto him. In an attempt to be as subtle as possible, she slowly removed her hands and let them drop to her sides before glancing back up.

“You sure?” Newt asked. In response she nodded stiffly.

“Are  _you_ okay?” she countered defensively, trying to mask her growing discomfort. When he jerked his head once, she breathed out, and then smiled. “Okay. We're both okay. We should go now. You know, the Greenie and all...” 

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Newt started walking first, and she quickly bounced after him, her nerves dissipating with every step. 

“Hey, Newt?”

“Yeah?” he replied, throwing her a look over his shoulder.

“If I ask for a cat, do you think the Creators will send one?” She kept her tone controlled, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. Newt stopped and whirled around.

“For shuck sake, Lia!” he groaned. However, his vexation turned to chuckling. “You're not funny, really.” Thalia grinned back, accompanying it with a shrug. 

“Shove off, maybe  _I'm_  a cat person. You never know.”

He heaved a sigh, theatrically. “One way to find out, I s’pose.”

Another yell and Thalia's eyes focused elsewhere. He briefly looked up, but his gaze moved back to its previous position; the girl whose hair gleamed red under the sun, such a stark contrast to his own gold locks. She sought his eyes once more, and Newt swallowed thickly, unable to return the warm smile she wore. Oh, they were both so monumentally screwed.


	5. + five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is jealous and he acts out.

**\+ v.** **❝** **I·** **ᴠᴇ** **ᴀ** **ʟ** **ᴡᴀ** **ʏs ʟ** **ᴏᴠᴇᴅ** **ʏ** **ᴏᴜ** **ᴇᴠᴇ** **ʀ sɪɴ** **ᴄᴇ** **ᴛ** **ʜ** **ᴇ** **ᴅᴀ** **ʏ** **ᴡᴇ** **sʜ** **ᴀ** **ʀ** **ᴇᴅ** **ᴛ** **ʜ** **ᴇ** **s** **ᴀᴍᴇ** **ᴀ** **ɪʀ.❞**

Thalia had taken up writing about her day-to-day experiences in a diary, so when she rummaged under her bed and her search came out clean, her blood ran cold. Before her mind could completely dissolve into a stream of curses and 'oh no's', she quickly left the room. She stormed outside, focused only on getting back her diary. Once in the open, she stopped dead. It took her a moment but she noticed the group of boys most likely responsible for the disappearance near the logs. They sat there with their newest accomplice, Thomas. Without another thought, she strode straight towards them. It didn't take long before all the boys' heads popped up and they saw the angry girl headed their way.

“Alright, who has it?!” she yelled before she had even reached them. Snickers ran throughout the gathered crowd. Then, Minho spoke up.

“Newt does.”

“Newt, what the hell, man?” Alby feigned distaste and all the boys laughed again.

“Newt?” she called, moving to stand in front of him. He looked up at her in what she could only call an almost smug manner.

“Yeah?” he replied calmly, his brows raised. She dropped into his lap then, wrapping her arms around his neck, shocking him. Thalia leaned as close as she could while trailing her hands lightly along his skin and through his hair.

“I heard you have something of mine,” she whispered into his ear, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He pulled back slightly in an attempt to keep his composure.

“Did you?”

“Mhm,” she said, beginning to move around in his lap. Now this shattered his stony expression; a blush rose from his neck into his cheeks and he broke their eye contact. She heard laughter from behind her. Thalia realised how public and overtly sexual she was being and bit her lip to stop her cheeks from going red. This was  _Newt_  she was teasing; far beyond anything she'd ever thought herself capable of doing. Hell, she was pretty much giving him a lap dance.

“Are you looking for this?” came Gally's voice, and she immediately looked over her shoulder. There stood Gally, her diary in hand. He began to open it, painstakingly slowly. Thalia disentangled her limbs from Newt clumsily, her previous embarrassment concerning her boldness already forgotten. She jumped up from Newt’s lap and then went after him. She tackled him with as much force as she could, and it surprised her that Gally fell. She landed on top of him with a thud and wasted no time in making for her property. However, she was pushed back and they rolled over to a chorus of cheering. Now he had her pinned beneath him.

“Gally, give it back!” she cried, desperately reaching for it, although he soiled her many attempts. And then the diary disappeared again. Thalia didn't realise how close they'd actually been until Alby, Thomas and Minho pulled Gally off. She sat up, trying to soothe her hair and clothes before she saw what the other boys had; Newt stalking away, his expression sullen. _Oh, Newt,_  she exhaled to herself.

* * *

Dinner had started off quiet but eventually escalated as the boys tried to cover Newt's lack of appearance. Thalia was happy to go along with the charade, seeing as she felt partly guilty for his hasty departure. Afterwards, she was simply ready to flop into bed and forget the day's events. However, upon going to her bed, she found that her diary had been placed on the pillow. She smiled feebly; Newt must have been the one who saved it from Gally. She felt a little better knowing it had been in safe hands.  _Well,_  she decided after a moment, _it would be a waste not to enjoy what was left of the night_. So, after hiding the diary in a more secure place, she left for the welcome party that was being thrown for Thomas.

* * *

Thalia walked around for a while, basking in the atmosphere of the bon fire. She wanted to find Newt, albeit being a little nervous. Unfortunately, she was having no such luck. She sighed; it seemed as though he was hiding. Thomas interrupted her pity party then, stepping in front of her with a friendly but brief smile. “Newt's over there,” he said, jerking his finger behind him. She looked past him, and sure enough the blonde was draped over the same log from earlier, drinking a jar of Gally's secret stuff. “Careful though, he's uh, had a lot of that crap...”

“Thanks, Greenie.” He smiled again and then let her pass.

Thalia only took one step before she was halted by Newt's gaze. His eyes landed on her, boring into her, and she tried her best to hold it. He looked more tired than usual, and his hair was all ruffled, and he hadn't stopped drinking from the makeshift cup. She didn't feel the same compassion he usually projected. Instead, it was cold and distant. She started forth once more, only to see Newt hop up and over the log and stumble away. She watched him depart, her heart sinking. Thalia's eyes trailed him and she soon realised where he was going: to Gally's fight club. She groaned.  _Idiot._

* * *

She pushed through the ring as the pair mutually broke apart, both sporting wounds, although Newt looked worse for wear. Thalia quickly entered the circle, past the dispersing crowd, and over to Newt. He was limping more than usual, and now he was bleeding from his nose, and she thought there may have even been a cut on his jaw.

“Newt,” she called out, latching onto his elbow. He turned around, a loopy smile etched into his features. Somehow he managed to obtain another jar in the fleeting moments after his fight. “Come on,” she sighed, dragging him to the homestead so she could clean him up.

When they got there, she forced him onto the counter, which was far from easy. He had kept trying to struggle out of her grasp and instead fetch more liquor, before he’d even finished what he already held. Once Thalia managed to convince him to sit down, she fetched some tissues and shoved them into his waiting hands. He tilted his head back and pressed them to his nose. The blood had trickled down his neck and she watched his Adam’s apple bob every few seconds. When she was satisfied he wasn't going to move again, she went back to rummaging through the cupboards for a clean towel and some bandages.  _Someone ought to clean this place up,_  she thought to herself, knowing that it would most likely end up being her.

Thalia came back to find Newt sipping from the jar. She rolled her eyes and wrestled it from him. Newt just pouted at her. She took a gulp for herself and then drenched the towel in the rest of it, and smirked at him.

“What?” he mumbled, leaning forward.

She pressed a hand against his chest for good measure. “This might hurt.” Then, she dabbed the cloth at his injuries, and sure enough he flinched. They went on in silence; Newt resigned to watching the brunette with curious eyes.

Once he was cleaned up, Thalia attempted to fix his hair. She slowly dragged her fingers through the unruly curls, putting them back into place. His arms had ended up wrapped around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder.

“Lia,” he whispered into her skin, but she cut him off.

“You're a stupid slinthead.”

And then he sighed, his breath cool against her neck. “I'm a stupid slinthead who's in love with you.”

She let out a dry laugh, “I know.”

When Newt leaned back to look at her, he also knew he never wanted to stop hearing that laugh. His thoughts moved to something else, though. His mouth tugged upward when she answered the unvoiced question she saw in his eyes.

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the song 'Air' by Hellberg, Teqq & Taylr Renee, as it’s what inspired me to write OTTW!
> 
> So I’m kind of sad to be posting this, since it’s the ‘+1’ of the story and I have definitely grown attached. I’ve enjoyed writing this and I hope at least someone has enjoyed reading it, lmao. I plan to write a Gally fic next, and perhaps eventually a Minho one if I can scrounge up enough ideas. I have also been considering writing some imagines, since I have a few ideas for that. Let me know if you would read them. Be sure to follow my account for more stuff!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to @jenniferwalters for (probably unknowingly) keeping me company during all the times I was working on the story.
> 
> P.S This fic was completed a while ago, I only just now decided to post it to ao3. :)


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